Naturally grown yuzu (Nishida Orchard)

Naturally grown yuzu by Junichi Nishida of Tamato Town, Tamana District, Kumamoto Prefecture

Nishida-san has been working on natural fruit cultivation in Gyokuto-cho, Kumamoto Prefecture since 2006. For many years, he has been working on the natural cultivation of fruit trees such as peaches, honey rosas (plums), Taishu persimmons, and gold kiwis, which were previously thought to be "impossible" to be cultivated without the use of pesticides.
 This is a fragrant yellow yuzu that has ripened on the tree. Yuzu is a citrus fruit that has been loved in Japan since ancient times, and there is nothing to throw away, including the skin, fruit, or seeds. Why not chop up the skin and use it to flavor your dishes? Just one piece will make your dish taste elegant. It is grown naturally, so you can use it with confidence. The squeezed juice can be used for ponzu sauce, dressing, sushi, yuzu juice, etc. The skin can be used to flavor soup, yuzu pepper, etc. Float it in the bath for a fragrant yuzu bath. If you slice it thinly whole and sprinkle sugar on it, it can be used as a snack with alcohol or as a tea snack. There are many recipes on the web for soaking the seeds in distilled liquor and using them as a lotion.
  Taking on the challenge of natural fruit cultivation, something that was once thought to be "impossible"

Nishida returned to his hometown of Kumamoto in 2000 and began working in the orchard as the successor to his family's orchard. He originally started out without knowing anything about natural farming. He would spray chemical fertilizers and pesticides every day as if it were the most natural thing to do. However, as he continued, he began to have doubts about the large amounts of pesticides being used. "Pesticides are sprayed dozens of times. I wouldn't want to eat fruit that has so much pesticide on it." Nishida's feelings gradually grew stronger. As he kept his ears open to environmentally conscious agriculture, a series of connections led him to meet Purely.
 "I began to have doubts about the pesticides and fertilizers that are used as a matter of course," was Nishida's first step in aspiring to natural farming. "I was surprised at first, thinking, 'Natural farming without pesticides or fertilizers. A farming method like this exists!' But I began to feel strongly that, since I'd come back to my hometown of Kumamoto, I wanted to practice natural farming that is kind to both the environment and people." After meeting Purely, Nishida began working on natural farming in small areas in 2007. The "insects" are employees of Nishida Orchard No pesticides or fertilizers are used from the seedlings. They are grown entirely from seedlings using natural cultivation. Fruit trees are inherently susceptible to insects and disease, so large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers are generally used. At Nishida Orchard, which is grown naturally, instead of pesticides and fertilizers, "insects" that live in nature play an active role. "In my orchard, a variety of creatures live because we do not use pesticides. For example, the newly born spider babies prey on insects such as mites that damage peaches." In the world of conventional cultivation, "insects = harmful pests" are considered to be pests that cause harm, and pesticides are used to thoroughly exterminate them. However, Nishida describes insects as "employees of Nishida Orchard," and creates an orchard in harmony with nature.
 The baby spider living in the tree. The precious orchard employees. Nishida recreates a natural environment in his orchard, where animals and plants coexist and life is diverse. He also practices biodynamic farming, which involves mowing, pruning, and harvesting in accordance with the phases of the moon. Fruits grown using this method are extremely popular nationwide, known as "Tsukiyomi Fruits."